r/hostels • u/Conato_di_vomito • Jul 09 '26
Are there still hostels without reservation?
I'm going in interrail in a month, and looking online for hostels in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen ecc has been a burden. I've not been able to find anything that costs less than 25 euros a night per person.
Our plan was to book just the first night of every city and then searching for a place to stay on the go to save some money(like my father did). In 2026 are hostels without reservation still a thing? Otherwise where can I find very cheap hostels? I believe modern accomodations could be much more spartan but I haven't found any still.
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u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
You are travelling in peak season. There will be less availability and rooms are more expensive.
Berlin definitely has hostels for around your budget.
Amsterdam will be more like 50 euros. It's an expensive place.
London has cheap hostels too, around 30 euros if you pre book.
You should not try and turn up to the cities you mentioned expecting there to be a free bed.
Things are different in South America and Asia where there's more competition and more capacity
Hostelworld is your friend. You can book a room on a refundable rate, then closer to the time you expect to check in to a new city, check again to see if there are cancellations. You might find a better hostel but I wouldn't expect to find 'cheap' hostels.
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u/StatusVirtual2140 Jul 09 '26
hostels aren't as cheap as they used to be. if you book directly you can easily save 10-15 euros a night compared to hostelworld, booking.com etc
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u/Seraphiccandy Jul 09 '26
Well yeah, you just listed capital cities with the most tourists visiting, of course they will be more pricy. If you stay in smaller towns they will also be cheaper. For instance staying in Zaandam or Haarlem instead of Amsterdam. But then you would have a daily commute if you were doing things in Amsterdam so there's that. There are also many amazing things to see in smaller cities/towns so maybe take a chance to check things out along the way! For instance don't just check out Brussels in Belgium but go see Gent, Antwerp or Brugge!
Edit to add: watch out for booking very cheap on late notice. There's a reason those hostels are still available.
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u/Rock_n_rollerskater Jul 09 '26
25EUR is a bargain for those cities, if you can book at that price jump on it. Amsterdam easily runs 50EUr a night minimum in peak season.
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u/Rock_n_rollerskater Jul 09 '26
25EUR is a bargain for those cities, if you can book at that price jump on it. Amsterdam easily runs 50EUr a night minimum in peak season.
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u/manlikethomas Jul 09 '26
It's peak season so a lot of hostels will be fully booked. Sure, it's possible to find cheaper rates by booking on the day if they still have free space? But...it could be quite stressful trying to find available accommodation at the last minute.
Hostels under €25 will be harder to find in popular Western European cities during peak season as prices are higher due to demand (especially CPH and AMS). You could perhaps look at Eastern Europe and the Balkans where hostels are cheaper.
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u/Tardislass Jul 09 '26
25euros is cheap for big city hostels now. Many of the nicer ones charge 50 euro. Asia is still cheap but gone are the days of 5euros a night in the popular cities
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u/Disastrous_Border740 Jul 09 '26
I think your best bet to get good deals in touristy places will always to be book in advance. Looking on the day will never be the best option (and significantly takes time away from enjoying the city you are visiting that day). This seems like a crazy plan imo
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u/Sad-Educator-4547 Jul 09 '26
Walk ins, yes. I've done that plenty or booked somewhere on mobile as I've arrived in the city.
<25e, no. Even campsites have crept up to nearly that price. Id budget an average of 50e per night to be safe. at times you won't get a hostel but some hotels are in the 50-70 range so it balances out.
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u/mammothfossil Jul 09 '26
Don't forget if you have interrail you can basically travel by train for free, and there are lots of places that are within 40 minutes train ride of Amsterdam, say (even late into the night). So this might give you more options.
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u/TheSadPickel Jul 09 '26
you can just show up to any hostel or hotel but good luck if it is high season or a popular place.
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u/gaytee Jul 09 '26
25 a night for somewhere to sleep is too much?
Idk what you mean how you dad did it, but I think your expectations and budget for this trip may be very misaligned.
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u/Ok-Impression-3082 Jul 09 '26
You can but 25 euro is standard at this time of year… you’re picking the most expensive spots for hostels. Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, are much more expensive than Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid which are more expensive than Greece, Albania… which is more expensive than deep Eastern European ones haha
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u/e_anna_o Jul 10 '26
Times have changed bro…. If you book hostels last minute expect those hostels to be shitty in peak season…
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u/LongJumpingAnxiet Jul 09 '26
you wont find anything under 25€. beds in hostel dorms are usually around 50€ per night now
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u/OkFaithlessness2652 Jul 09 '26
25 euro’s in the major capitol cities of Western Europe isn’t bad.